cities and towns across the Commonwealth are making the state an offer it can’t refuse: Free or low-cost public space for Registry of Motor Vehicles branches. To save $1.7 million annually in the midst of the worst budget crunch in recent years, the Registry announced plans this summer to close 11 of its 34 branch […]
State House News Service
Posted inEconomy, Politics, State House News Service
State of the unions
”Governor Patrick, Anti-Labor.” ”Governor Patrick, Anti-Public Safety.” That was the 411 from Arlington and Medford police officers lined up more than 200 strong in front of Arlington’s Town Hall in late June. There wasn’t any chanting or marching, just plenty of signs doing the talking on a damp and chilly evening. The reason behind the […]
Posted inEconomy, Politics, State House News Service, The Download
Federal stimulus funding cushions state budget
With Washington coming to the rescue, Massachusetts has been able to save programs that would have been decimated without federal stimulus funds. According to a report published Wednesday by the Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center, the Bay State will receive an estimated $17.7 billion in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funds. Of that allocation, […]
Posted inEconomy, State House News Service, The Download
Gateways Cities leaders introduce economic development plan
Massachusetts needs to rework its tax incentive programs to create jobs, stimulate commercial development, and build market-rate housing in the state’s most economically distressed cities. That was the message from the city officials and economic development policy advocates who testified Wednesday before the Joint Committee on Revenue to back a revitalization plan designed to transform […]
Posted inState House News Service, The Download, Uncategorized
Martha’s big sister
It may seem like a first, but we've been here before. Congressman Michael Capuano thinks The Woman is the one to beat in the US Senate race. The State House News Service is already reporting on who will be attorney general when The Woman heads to Washington. A Suffolk University poll this week shows The […]
Posted inState House News Service, The Download, Transportation
Mission Impossible II: MBTA Crisis Management
Good afternoon, Mr. Mullan. The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority is plagued by many problems, among them multibillion debt, aging infrastructure, and a significant cohort of employees for whom customer service is an oxymoron. But the biggest problem facing the average commuter, Mr. Mullan, is the stark inability of the MBTA to handle the mini-crises that […]
Posted inPolitics, State House News Service, The Download
What state are we in?
Here's a news flash you don't see often in this state: Republicans in the US Senate race outnumber Democrats, 2-1. Granted, that ratio includes only candidates who have made formal announcements, not ones pulling nomination papers, or remaining silent amid speculation. But on the Democratic side, only Attorney General Martha Coakley is in. On the […]
Posted inState House News Service, The Download, Transportation
Trick or Treat: The Revenge of Dan Grabauskas
Revenge is a dish best served cold. For the former MBTA general manager, there's probably nothing more delicious than the headline "State Transportation Secretary is resigning " Secretary of Transportation James Aloisi plans to step down on Halloween. After the public relations fiasco surrounding Grabauskas's departure–the trading of charges over the May 2008 Green Line […]
Posted inPolitics, State House News Service, The Download
Hollywood-style voting takes a baby step in Massachusetts
The attorney general's office has the list on the two dozen or so ballot questions that have been "certified" (that is, supporters can now start to collect signatures for them) for the 2010 election, as well as the five that have been extinguished. (One apparently tried to solve the home mortgage crisis by doing an […]
Posted inHealth Care, State House News Service, The Download
Local foods mean local smells
Tewksbury residents went to Beacon Hill yesterday to argue about the regulation of odorous hog farms. The State House News Service's Jim O'Sullivan reported (via Wicked Local Tewksbury) that the local Krochmal Farm — which can house more than 1000 pigs and store more than 500,000 gallons of waste — has yielded complaints about its […]